BEST LIVE SHOW 2008 Award Winner,
and a Best Live Show Nominee in the 2005-2007 Awards!

Runners-Up: Family Force 5, tobyMac, Skillet, John Reuben, Showbread, Disciple, Children 18:3, Flatfoot 56 (Cornerstone Festival IL. set), Eowyn.

[Note: Choosing the Best Live Show winner for 2008 was particularly challenging. Most of the bands whose shows were already great enough to warrant previous nominations somehow improved their shows even more; and of course there were several new nominations as well. This made 2008's Best Live Show an extremely close race to begin with. Then, complicating things a bit more, we knew that if we chose The Newsboys, we'd probably never review all of their records {as of March 1, 2009, they had 18 of them, with plenty more coming!}. In the end— after a great deal of thought— we decided to, indeed, give the Award to The Newsboys... because, although we may or may not get around to reviewing all of their music, and although 2008's Live Show race was unbelievably close {we actually considered several ties}, The Newsboys really did deserve it.]

(Photo Credits: Ember)

The Newsboys’ show is so great for several reasons: First, of course, is their huge set, which among other things includes their own walk-out-into-the-crowd platform (for stages that don’t normally have one) and their famous dual drum stands. (We won’t tell you why they’re so famous, though— that’s something better seen than described. ) Next is their stage presence. The bandmembers are fairly energetic (especially frontman Peter Furler, who is rarely still); there is a good amount of crowd interaction and a bit of humor; and also some variety (including one point during the show where all 4 bandmembers move out onto the platform).

(Photo Credit: Ember)

And topping it off is their encore finale, with a ‘drum-off’ (featuring those aforementioned famous stands), and then Peter Furler’s incredible parting message perfectly layered over the accompanying music.

(Photo Credit: Ember)

Live Show Rating: 5 & 1/2 Stars.